After 15 years of experience working in the Nepali film industry, Satyaraj Chaulagain, 33, is finally embarking on a new journey: He is ready to make his movies. His successful stint as director and/or lyricist for movies like ‘Kohinoor’ and ‘Ma Yesto Geet Gauchu’ among others has given him the confidence to take this bold step. Apart from being a filmmaker, he is also the managing director of the advertising agency Simple Ad Media.
As a child, Chaulagain loved Tulshi Ghimire’s movies. It was watching them that made him want to become an actor. Fueled by a passion for filmmaking, he established ‘Cinema Sanchar’ in 2006. The idea behind it was to bring in experts to provide dancing, singing, and acting classes to those looking to make their mark in the movie business.
It was during that time that he met Dayaram Dahal, a well-known director. Dahal lived close to Cinema Sanchar’s office. Dahal saw how passionate Chaulagain was about the movies and offered him work as an assistant director in one of his projects. This was how, 12 years ago, Chaulagain took his first hesitant step into the world of directing movies. Under Dahal’s mentorship, he directed ‘Maya ko Barima’ produced by Gopi Krishna Movies.
“I was interested in acting but I became enthralled by the challenge of directing movies after working under Dayaram sir,” he says. Since then, Chaulagain has worked as the assistant director in more than a dozen films, including notable movies like ‘Kohinoor’, ‘Naike’, ‘Ko Afno’, ‘K Ma Timro Hoina Ra’, ‘Bhaag Saani Bhaag’ and ‘Ma Yesto Geet Gauchu.’ ‘Anuraag’ marks his directorial debut. His second film, ‘Bichhed’ is set for a November release.
His debut film didn’t get the response he expected. But he says it was a learning experience. He could identify the gaps and limitations and work on them. He is, however, optimistic about Bicched, which is a love story. He intends to take it to international film festivals as well.
Before diving into the world of directing movies, he was also a lyricist. He was even nominated for different music awards including Second Jeevanta Award 2023. He was awarded the ‘Best Modern Song Lyricist’ for ‘Maya Timi Sangai’ and ‘Best Modern Pop Video Director’ for ‘Sapana Banera’. He also was honored with the National Inclusive Music Awards and Golden Horse Bishes Samman in 2023.
Chalagain believes his taste in music helps refine his directorial abilities, particularly in terms of incorporating music into films. Even now when he is busy with his projects, he is up for writing lyrics. He has penned popular songs like ‘Timro Sworma Swor’, ‘Aama’, ‘Yesto Sathi Timro Banchu Ma’, ‘Maya Timi Sangai’ and ‘Mero Desh Nepal’.
Life seems to be on track but it wasn’t always that way, he says. He started his career at a young age and though much of what he learned was through experience on sets, he realized there was sometimes no substitute for theoretical knowledge. So, he got enrolled in a six-month online course conducted by renowned Hollywood director, Peter D. Marshall. He considers this to be a solid foundation upon which he can build his filmmaking career.
“A director is the captain of the team, you could say. There is nothing s/he isn’t responsible for,” he says. From handling financial issues when and if they arise to managing different people’s working sensibilities, a director has a lot on his plate. “It’s important to learn to manage people as well.”
Filmmaking, he says, has become significantly easier over the years. Digital media has made it possible for people to pick up new skills should they so wish to. There are a lot of resources available online. You no longer have to shadow senior directors to learn and enter the industry, he says. But he feels collaborations are important. As a stickler for quality, Chaulagain believes in letting experts do their jobs rather than dabbling in everything yourself. “A movie is the result of teamwork and good movies require great teams,” he says.
A director is only as good as his actors. But the beauty of direction lies in being able to bring out the essence of the characters through them. Which is why, he says, casting the right actor for a role is so important. Movies should entertain you as well as make you think, says Chaulagain, and good acting and a solid script are key elements for that.
Talking about the current status of the Nepali film industry, he says, “Around two decades ago, Nepali and Bollywood movies were on par. But the Nepali film industry hasn’t been able to maintain that status.” To address this, he highlights the importance of both the audience and the government lending support to Nepali cinema.
“The government should support film education programs and film schools, fund film courses as well as provide scholarships to aspiring filmmakers,” he says.
